Brushcutters are preferably used for maintaining gardens and for landscaping generally as well as in forestry and farming. The cutting tool of such a brushcutter is mounted on a drive head which is driven by a lightweight internal combustion engine with the cutting tool rotating in a rotational plane. The cutting tool is configured to accommodate the particular area of application. For cutting grass such as in the region of trees, bushes and the like, a plastic filament is utilized as the cutting tool which is held extended by means of the centrifugal force when the cutter head rotates. Cutting elements in the form of knives are used for heavier vegetation such as brush.
Small stones and wood pieces lying in the cutting area can come into engagement with the cutting element and be projected away by the cutting tool rotating at a high rotational speed which can be dangerous and makes it necessary for the person working with the apparatus to exercise great caution and maintain a required safe distance from others in the area.
The drive head and the rotating cutter tool are usually partially covered with a protective arrangement for preventing accidents. The protective arrangement includes a sector-shaped plate which is approximately parallel to the plane of rotation of the cutting tool. The sector-shaped plate extends at the outer edge into a downwardly extending wall portion which ends beneath the rotational plane of the cutting elements. The use of various cutting tools for the different areas of application places the rotational planes of these tools at different positions because of the way the tools are constructed wherein it is necessary on the one hand that the protective arrangement adequately covers the cutting tool while, on the other hand, it is necessary to bring the cutting tool sufficiently close to the ground area in order to obtain an optimal cutting capacity. To achieve these requirements, the appropriate protective arrangement must likewise be exchanged when changing the cutting tool in the known brushcutters which is very complex and time-consuming.